Can re-sealers



T. ANGELUS May 6, 1969 CAN RE-SEALERS Sheet Filed March 1, 1968 JJVE'A/TOR. 7- 0 flNGEL us ATTDRNE'YJ May 6, 1969 Filed March 1. 1968 "r. ANGELUS 3,442,377

CAN RE-SEALERS |lllIlIlIIIlII-/ I It Ann J {MW-mu .INVENTOR. TED RNGELUS RTTOHWBYS United States Patent 3,442,377 CAN RE-SEALERS Ted Angelus, 60 Riverside Drive, New York, N.Y. 10024 Filed Mar. 1, 1968, Ser. No. 709,683 Int. Cl. B65d 39/00, 39/16, 41/00, 41/02, 41/16 U.S. Cl. 206-65 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A resilient material formed to have a grip portion and a sealing portion which sealing portion is adapted to the contour and configuration of the hole into which it is intended to be inserted whereby holes of a variety of shapes may be easily, economically and efliciently closed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention Closures for cans and the like.

Description of the prior art Plugs and corks to seal holes are well known and have been well known since antiquity. Modern times, however, have seen proliferation of methods by means of which sealed metal containers may readily be opened. Among these is the Well known cutting can-opener which has a lever pivoted at the can edge and which pierces and cuts to open a triangular hole in the can top. The triangle is usually substantially equilateral and it varies in size both with the size of the tool and the extent to which the tool is used. Other can-opening devices include integral pulltabs which consist of a strip of metal soldered or embossed into the can top and provided with a ring handle for removal. The resulting hole is highly irregular in shape and varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. The prior art is not known to have means for closing such holes and re-sealing the containers. The closest known prior art constitutes a closure for the entire top of the can which fits and inefficiently seals about the outer circumference of the can top.

Summary of the invention Accordingly, the present invention provides a can resealer which is adapted to close and re-seal the irregularly shaped holes commonly produced when opening cans.

The present invention also provides a means for resealing holes in cans which is so economical as to be normally considered disposable and actually has virtually negligible cost in certain of its embodiments.

The present invention further provides a means for placing spoilable fluids in larger capacity containers such that partial use may be made of the contents with complete re-sealability and preservation of the remainder thereof.

Briefly, and not by way of limitation, the present invention provides a formed plug adapted to the shape of the hole into which it is intended to be inserted. The material used is plastic or the like and, therefore, resilient enough to engage and seal the edges of the hole and, in the event of internal container pressure, resist unintended removal.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the plug shape may be tapered such that a single plug is adapted to be used in holes similar in shape but varying in size. Thus, in the case of a hole produced by a standard can opener which may be a larger or smaller substantially equilateral triangle according to the extent the opener is inserted into the can top, the present invention teaches a truncated triangular pyramid to be utilized as a plug.

Patented May 6, 1969 Brief description of the drawing FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a plurality of joined can re-sealers according to the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the can re-sealers of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a can re-sealer re-sealing a can.

FIGURE 4 is an exploded perspective view of a can re-sea1er and a can.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken across line 5-5 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary partial cross-sectional view of a can re-sealer re-sealing a can.

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of a plurality of joined can re-sealers according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary view of the embodiment shown in FIGURE 7 re-sealing a can.

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of a plurality of joined can re-sealers according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIGURE 10 is a cross-sectional view taken across line 10-10 of FIGURE 9.

FIGURE 11 is a plan view of a plurality of joined can re-sealers according to a further embodiment of the present invention.

Description of preferred embodiments of the invention Referring to the drawing, a sheet 10 of formable material preferably a thermoplastic, is formed as by vacuum molding or the like to provide at least one plug or sealing portion 12. The portion of sheet 10 surrounding each sealing portion 12 forms a flange or grip portion 4.

Each sealing portion .12 is formed specifically to the contour of the hole into which it is intended to be inserted. For example, the hole punched by the common can opener is substantially triangular in shape, the triangle being substantially equilateral. The extent to which the can opener is forced into the can top determines the size of the triangular hole. Sealing portion v12 adapted to seal such a hole is accordingly a truncated pyramid any right cross-section of which is an equilateral triangle. Such a sealing portion 12 may be inserted into a triangular can hole to the extent necessary for proper sealing regardless of the size of that hole up to the largest dimension of that sealing portion.

As a further example of the formation of a sealing portion 12 to the contour of the hole into which it is intended to be inserted, FIGURE 1 shows two other sealing portions 12a and 12b each of which is intended for insertion into a can hole produced by removal of the socalled pull-tab manually opened can. The curious and somewhat irregular configuration produced in the hole necessitated by the exigences of the pull-tab design heretofore defied conventional re-sealing. Forming sealing portion 12a or 12b with an integral grip portion 14 from sheet 10 provides a most economical and useful re-sealer. It is to a great extent the negligible cost of manufacture that permits the present invention to be economically feasible although varying plug contours and shapes are herein taught and contemplated. The can re-sealer of the present invention may be intended to be a throw-away article, or more precisely, to be used only with a given can and to be disposed therewith. To this end, sheet may be relatively thin since wearing properties are of little concern. Of course, should it be desired to produce a more useful and long lived product, which can be used time and again, it is only necessary to provide a thicker and therefore more durable sheet 10. It is also possible to mold the can re-sealers of the present invention such that they are solid rather than hollow.

FIGURE 1 shows a plurality of can re-sealers joined on a common sheet .10. Between the respective grip portions 14 there may be formed a perforation 16 to permit easy separation of each can re-sealer for individual use as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4. Such separation is not necessary of course, but may be useful and convenient.

FIGURES 7 and 8 show an embodiment of the present invention in which sheet 10 is looped and joined to form a ring 20 having a plurality of sealing portions 12. This embodiment of the invention provides the unique advantage of a combination of can re-sealers useful for many and varying applications and which provides a ring handie for the most simple and effortless removal from the can. As this embodiment is inetnded to be used several times it may be made more durable than the throwaway embodiment above referred to. While FIGURE 8 would tend to suggest that ring 20 is cumbersome and requires considerable space upon the can top, it is to be remembered that sheet 10 is to be a relatively flexible material and may be depressed to allow the can to be inserted upright under a low refrigerator shelf by way of illustration.

The embodiment shown in FIGURES 9 and 10 provides a disk 30 having a circumferential annular flange 32 which is intended to engage and seal about the outer edge of the can rim. Formed in disk 30 are two sealing portions 34 and 34a, each upstanding from the disk surface but in opposite directions such that one sealing portion 34 may be used without interference from the other sealing portion 34a and of course, vice versa. Annular flange 32 extends in both directions above and below disk 30 such that rim sealing is effected regardless of which way disk 30 is turned.

FIGURE 11 demonstrates a particular use of the present invention in connection with six-pack can groupings having a single sheet formed across the respective can tops to join them for sales purposes. It is an aspect of the present invention to form removable sealing portions 42, 42a into an integral width sheet 40. In this manner, cans are sold together and in conjunction with can re-sealers adapted for use with those cans and disposable thereafter.

While the foregoing is illustrative of preferred embodiments of the present invention it is clear that other embodiments and modifications may be had within the broad spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims. By way of example, the sealing portions may be provided with roughened or serrated outer surfaces to aid in retention of the sealing portion in the can hole and to resist the build-up of internal pressure which may occur if a carbonated beverage is in the can. By way of further example, the grip portions may be utilized for advertising appliqu and accordingly may be made in any size or shape necessary to that purpose.

What is claimed is:

1. A can re-sealer comprising in combination:

(a) a plurality of sealing portions formed to the contour of the can opening into which they are intended to be inserted;

(b) a grip portion integral with and surrounding each said sealing portion;

(e) such grip portions being joined as a single sheet;

and

((1) said single sheet being a disk having a circumferential annular sealing flange extending above and below said disk, at least one of said grip portions being formed on the opposite side of said disk from another of said grip portions.

2. A can re-sealer in accordance with claim 1, wherein said sealing portions are serrated.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,132,763 5/1964 Quiroz 220-24 3,206,017 9/1965 Williams 220--23.4

JAMES B. MARBERT, Primary Examiner. 

